Guide-vane construction for pumps and blowers



June 4, 1929.

H. F. SCHMIDT GUIDE VANECONSTRUCTION FOR PUMPS AND BLOWERS WITNESSESf Filed Sept. 12, 1924 H Schmidt INVENTOR" ATTO'RNEY Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. SCHMIDT, OF LANSDOVJ'NE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GUIDE-VANE CONSTRUCTION FOR PUMIS AND BLO'WERS.

Application filed September 12, 1924.

My invention relates to the construction of diifusion tubes for pumps and blowers and more especially to that type of diitusion tube having a solid body in the center thereof, said solid body being connected with the walls of the diffusion tube by relatively thin vanes.

Ieretofore in the construction of diffusion tubes of this type it has been customary to cast the diffusion tube including the central portion, walls and connecting vanes in a single piece by the use of a cored mould either with or without the use of sheet metal plates placed in the mould. In either case it was impossible to bore out or in any other way to machine the interior wall of the casing due to the presence of the vane. Moreover, if the vanes were cast they could not be machined and if the vanes were formed by plates inserted in the mould it was necessary to make them thinner than was in accordance with good practice.

In order to obviate these defects I have devised the following construction, one of the objects of my invention being to produce a diffusion tube in which the guide vanes are separate from the wall of the tube, thus permittingthe wall to be bored out or otherwise machined and at the same time permitting the guide vane members to be made by diecasting, drop-forging or cast from simple moulds permitting of machine moulding. A further object of my invention is to produce a diffusion tube in which the outer wall is made separate from the guide vane structure, thus allowing the diffusion tube to be made of sheet metal which was not heretofore possible. A still further object of my invention is to produce a difi'usion tube structure which shall be simple, light, eflicient, easy of construction and assembly and which shall at the same time permit ready disassembly for the purpose of repairs and replacement.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the guide vane members together with the bolt used in the assembly of these members; Fig. 2 is a section of the guide vane taken on line IIII of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View showing the guide vane assembied in a propeller pump.

Serial No; "37,397.

The guide vane is formed of a plurality of guide vane members 10 assembled about a bolt 11 within the diffusion tube 12 of a fluidtranslating device, which for convenience, I have herein termed a pump.

Each guide vane member 10 is composed of a hub portion 14 and a blade portion 15. The blade portion may be of any shape to secure an eliicient action on the fluid flowing past it. The hub portion 14 is sector shaped but at the trailing end is cut away to receive the bolt 11, the cut away portion being suitably enlarged to receive the head 16 of the bolt. Between the enlarged cut away portion 30 which receives the head and the cylindrical cut away portion which receives the bolt is a frustro-conical portion forming a compression slope 17 having a purpose to be hereinafter described. In one side of the hub 14 is a groove 18 and on the side opposite thereto is a tongue 19 to engage the corresponding groove of the next adjacent guide vane member. YVhile I have shown these tongues and grooves as rectangular in cross section, it is evident that they may be made of any convenient cross section. On the outer edge of the blade 15 is a stud 20 which engages the diffusion tube casing 12 of the pump. To receive this stud 20 a suitable recess is provided in the casing 12. If desirable the casing 12 may consist of an outer portion 22, an inner renewable portion or liner 23 in which case it may be found desirable to have the recess 24 extend entirely through the liner.

The preferred construction for me casing 12 is one of sheet metal which is attached to the pump body 36 by means of flanges 37 and 38 on the pump body and diffusion tube casing, respectively.

In assembling the guide vane, a plurality of guide vane members are placed around the bolt 11 with the head 16 of the bolt engaging the recess provided therefor. The assembled bolt and guide vane members are then placed within the casing so that the stud 20 is opposite the recess 24. By tightening the nut 31 on the bolt 11, the head 16 of the bolt will be drawn along the compression slope 17, thus expanding the guide vane members 10 outwardly and setting the stud 20 in the recess 24. Should it be desired to remove one of the guide vane members it is only necessary to loosen the nut 31, time permitting the bolt 11 to be forced in the cppd site direction and permitting the guide vane members to be moved inwardly until the stud 20 is clear of the recess 24:.

hen locked in place, the guide vane 10 serves to minimize the eddy currents set up in the fluid by the impeller 34, it being apparent that the type of blade found most efficient would be used and that the axis of the guide vane would ordinarily be opposite the axis of rotation of the impeller.

I have found that the construction in which six guide vane members are used is preferable as this permits of the use of the standard hexagonal bolt, but I do not limit myself to this number.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A guide vane for the casing of a rotary pump comprising a plurality of similar members each including a hub portion and a blade portion, the hub portions being adapted to engage each other and the blade portions being adapted for engagement with the casing and means engaging the hub portion for forcing the members outwardly against the caslng.

2. In a device of the type described, a guide vane member comprising a hub portion and a blade portion, the hub portion being substantially in the shape of a sector of a cylinder, the apex of the sector being partially cut away to receive means for forcing the vane member outwardly and the outer edge of the blade portion lying in a conical surface the axis of which is the apex of the hub portion, a projection on one side of said 'hub portion, the other side being provided separate guide vane members within said casing and engaging each other ad acent their inner ends and means disposed centrally of said casing and engaging said inner ends for forcing said guide vane members radially outward against said casin 5. In a device of the type described, a guide vane comprising a number of vane members having interfitting hub portions, and means within the hub portions for radially adjusting the vane members. I

6. In a device of the type described, a guide vane comprising a number of vane members having centrally disposed hub portions arranged to form a centrally disposed hub, and means for dilating and constricting the hub for effecting a radial adjustment to the vane members.

7. In a device of the type described, a guide vane comprising a number of vane members having interfitting hub portions, the latter having inclined seats on their inner surfaces, a spacing member arranged to engage the in clined seats, and means for adjusting the spacing member with respect to the inclined seats for effecting a radial adjustment of the vane members.

8. A guide vane for the casing of a rotary pump comprising a plurality of similar members each includin a hub portion and a blade portion, the hub portions being adapted to engage each other, the hub portions being also substantially in the shape of a sector of a cylinder, the apices of the respective sectors being partially cut away to receive means for forcing the vane members outwardly and the outer edges of the respective blade portions lying in a conical surface, the axis ofwhich is the apex of the hub portion.

9. A guide vane for the casing of a rotary pump comprising a plurality of similar members each including a hub portion and a blade portion, the hub portions being adapted to engage each other, the hub portions being also substantially in the shapeof a sector of a cylinder, the apices of the respective sectors being partially cut away to receive means for forcing the respective vane members outwardly and the outer edges of the respective blade portions lying in a conical surface, the axis of which is the apex of the hub portion, and a projection on each blade portion for engaging the interior of the casing of the pump.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this second day of September, 1924.

HENRY F. SCHMIDT. 

